Stories about Technology from January, 2013
Slovak Antimonopoly Office Defends Obligatory Microsoft Use
European Information Society Institute, a Slovak NGO, reports [sk] that the Slovak Antimonopoly Office (AMO) does not see it as a problem that the country's Financial Directorate is forcing taxpayers to use Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer, arguing that there is just about 10 percent of 44,000 subjects who have...
Twitter Suspends Cuban Encyclopedia Ecured's Account
Twitter has suspended the account of the Cuban Collaborative Encyclopedia Cubana EcuRed according to an announcement posted on the official blog of the their website.
Slovak Netizen Initiative to Redesign State Institutions’ Sites
Inspired by sf.citi (San Francisco Citizens Initiative for Technology & Innovation), Jakub Ptačin [sk] and Peter Fabor [sk] have launched It's Not Possible (“To Sa Nedá”; sk; on Facebook – here), an initiative whose goal is to redesign websites of selected state institutions – for free and without political ambitions....
The Outsourcing Revolution In Bangladesh
Asif Anwar suggests that getting more and more people into freelancing & outsourcing industry can make Bangladesh a medium earning country sooner than expected.
North Korea Broadcasts Google Exec Schmidt's Visit
North Korea Leadership Watch wrote a post (with several screengrabs) on how North Korean state media covered Google’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt's visit to the country. Members of delegations toured the Korea Computer Center in Pyongyang and learned about North Korea’s internet technology.
Who Should Be in the Internet Hall of Fame?
The Internet Society seeks nominees from any country who have played a significant role in the development of the Internet for inclusion in the Internet Hall of Fame.
Communications and Social Change Awards Open for Nominations
The Centre for Communication and Social Change at the University of Queensland in Australia is accepting nominations for individuals and organisations working in the theory and/or practice of communications for social change for the Communications and Social Change Awards. Deadline in January 18, 2013.
What Happened to the Cable? Cubans Discuss Internet Access
Over a year after the arrival of a new fiber optic cable to Cuba, the island has failed to see improvements in connectivity speed nor an increase in access to the Internet.
Ecuador: National Assembly's New Widget
Ecuador's National Assembly has a new widget [es]. Boosted by political communication specialist Antonio Gutiérrez-Rubi, the initiative “is an online directory for political activism and digital communication, a simple tool to first-hand know who they are, what applications they used and what is the online activity of the representatives in...
South Korea: The Secret Agent's Illegal Electioneering
The police launched another round of investigation on a secret agent for conducting illegal electioneering in a progressively-oriented humor site with using 16 different IDs. The Marmot's Hole blog, though dismissive of the claim that this is a part of an organized political effort, briefly summarized the incident and linked back to related articles.
Japan: Digital Backyard in Sapporo
The three-day conference “Digital Backyards” initiated by smal.jp and berlinergazette.de will take place in Sapporo on January 10-12, 2013. There will be a barcamp-style networking event on January 10 and 11 for journalists, activists, bloggers, researchers, entrepreneurs, cultural workers and programmers to define problems and come up with solutions. The outcome will be...
Technology Helps Kenyans Reveal Electoral Registration Fraud
As Kenya gears up for presidential elections, technology helped reveal that political parties stole National Identification details of unsuspecting Kenyans and registered them as their members with the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission.
Borinquen Brass Play Music in Every Corner of Puerto Rico
The brass wind ensemble Borinquen Brass has 13 members, including a percussionist, and six years of experience giving free concerts in Puerto Rico. The ensemble's endeavor is to offer a valuable community and educational service to audiences that otherwise wouldn't have access to this kind of music.
Vietnam Tech News Websites Need to Cover Local Updates
It’s not easy for the layman to get news about new technology companies, new products, or cutting edge trends in Vietnam… Everybody knows about the latest iPhone, nobody knows about Setech Viet. Anh-Minh Do explains why most Vietnamese tech news websites provide more coverage to global technology news updates.
Ecuador: President Refuses to Inaugurate Wind Farm
Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa preferred not to unveil the Villonaco wind farm, which he considered unfinished. Alison Martínez has local reactions from Loja.
Uganda in 2012: 50 Years of Independence and Africa's Youngest MP
2012 was one of the happiest years in Uganda's history. Sweet memories of 2012 range from Ugandans electing Africa's youngest Member of Parliament to 50 year independence celebrations.
Trinidad & Tobago: Tech Trends, 2013
ICT Pulse shares six ICT/tech trends that the region is likely to see this year.
Iran's Supreme Leader Behind Enemy Lines with New Facebook Page
Despite condemnation of social media, it appears that Ayatollah Khamenei now has his own Facebook page. Censorship is as active on Facebook as any other media in Iran -- critical comments come down as fast as they go up. Read more to find out what kind of response there has been to the Supreme Leader's new Facebook presence in Iran.
